Pulse January / February 2018 | Page 4

FROM YOUR CHAIRMAN 2018 ISPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTED OFFICERS CHAIRMAN Todd Shaw The Peaks Resort & Spa VICE CHAIRMAN Todd Hewitt Shangri-La International SECRETARY/TREASURER Garrett Mersberger Kohler Co. “Self-care” iS going to be a major buzz word in 2018, but what does that mean for those of us who work in the wellness industry? It should mean that we take the IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN Michael Tompkins Hutchinson Consulting DIRECTORS time to listen, that we hold ourselves accountable, and we make a point to protect and nurture Sharilyn Abbajay ISPA Foundation Vice Chairman everyone around us—from our guests to our staff. Self-care and wellness need to be a constant Noel Asmar Noel Asmar Group, Inc. practice. Peyton Manning didn’t just run onto the field every Sunday without spending hours practicing exactly what he was going to do, so neither can we. We must spend every day Damien Craft Four Seasons Westlake Village practicing the little things that lead to a life of wellness. We must learn to hold ourselves Scott Duncan Spa Gregorie’s accountable and not fear inevitable change, but embrace it. Brennan Evans Trilogy Spa Holdings I don’t really like the word change. It has such a bad connotation, but shouldn’t everything be constantly moving, changing, evolving? During his 2017 ISPA Conference & Expo keynote Blake Feeney Living Earth Crafts presentation, Manning noted that you should always be pushing yourself to the edge, and when Kelleye Heydan The Edgewater Resort & Spa you get to that edge, you find a new edge to push towards. If we don’t embrace change, how Patrick Huey Ballagio Spa & Salon will we keep moving that edge and evolving to a new reality? We live in a time where many people are afraid of change. That fear is manifested in the Kristine Huffman Huffman Hospitality Concepts inability to comprehend other points of view or concepts or even the thoughts of people who Laura Parsons ESPA International (US) Ltd. (Spa Division) may think or feel differently. In other words, we’ve stopped listening to each other. How can we Frank Pitsikalis ISPA Foundation Chairman truly practice wellness if we don’t slow down and listen to the needs of everyone around us? It’s about what choices we are going to make to better ourselves and those around us. We Eric Stephenson Elements Massage have a responsibility as managers to respect others’ space, comfort zones and opinions. We Robert Vance Sensei Retreats Lana'i have the personal responsibility to be human beings and care for one another. As leaders in our Lynne McNees International SPA Association industry we can lead the way on this wellness and self-care movement, we just have to practice! Since 2018 will be the year of wellness and self-care, why don’t we recommit to putting spas at the forefront of that movement? We can do this by reinforcing that spas are safe havens— MEDICAL ADVISOR Brent A. Bauer, MD Mayo Clinic places where personal growth and safety are put above everything else, and communicating that spas are the ultimate place for wellness and self-care—for both your guests and your staff. Using CHAIRMEN’S COUNCIL the New Year to recommit to spa is the ultimate form of self-care we can accomplish. Past ISPA Chairmen who are current members: Gayle Brady • Brady Spa Consulting Ella Kent • The Spa at Sea Island Jeff Kohl • Spa & Club Ideations Jean Kolb • Well By Choice —TODD SHAW, CHAIRMAN John Korpi • Korpi & Korpi Kate Mearns • LIVunLtd Todd Shaw MBA @tddshaw Todd Shaw Jim Root • The Westmoor Club Jane Segerberg • Segerberg Spa Consulting, LLC 2 PULSE ■ January/February 2018 Deborah Waldvogel • ResortSuite